Halo's legs buckled as he ducked behind the bushes.
Before him was an opening, no trees and bushes, but a dry and open land.
Beyond it rose a bridge, its beams resting against each other in gentle, firm embraces as it lay gently on the bridge.
It was a sight of hope, with its neat craft and thoughtful design speaking of safety and care.
This scene should have called for celebration, but Halo only glowered and grunted, before the bridge lay a monstrosity. A Sinner.
The sinner seemed odd. Instead of the traditional face, it had a pointed, elongated head with a disturbing maw-like opening where a long, tendril-like tongue extended outward.
Its mouth looked more like an organic weapon than a feeding tool.
But that wasn't unusual enough. Its limbs were long and angular, jointed like spiders, and it assumed a predatory stance.
Its hands and feet ended in sharp, claw-like structures. Even a glance was enough to speak for its combat experience.
Halo only stared at its dark and deep crimson body, but something else held him captive. He couldn't tell exactly where the creature was staring since its eyes were impossible to find.
It prowled back and forth at the bridge's edge, periodically grasping the rope rail and giving it violent shakes.
This felt wrong to Halo. The Sinner was clearly analyzing the bridge's weight capacity. It was waiting to devour anyone who dared to cross.
Not only did it seem strong. It was smart.
Halo didn't have many options. The sun was about to set and considering there was a bridge, it was only natural to believe people lived on the next land.
He needed to use that bridge.
His soft murmurs of gibberish betrayed his frustration. But he couldn't shake his desire to fight the creature.
Best of all, this creature was something he could finally fight with his own two hands. He had cracked skulls in his past life with his bare hands, but he knew the humans here were practically superhumans and a Sinner was even worse.
The Sinner clearly had the advantage. It seemed intelligent and skilled, plus it had twelve limbs. But at the end of the day, it was still just a Sinner.
He could defeat it.
He let out a sigh and began contemplating, should he sneak up on it or face it head-on?
Before he could conclude his thoughts, his body moved on its own.
The moment he stepped into the clearing, the Sinner turned toward him and charged aggressively, letting out a jeering scream.
Halo grimaced but stood firm, assuming his stance through the approaching terror.
However, the creature's movements abruptly grew more aggressive and unpredictable.
He saw nothing. Maybe he did, but his mind processed nothing. The next thing he knew, a strike connected with his gut, sending him crashing to the ground.
Halo groaned.
But before he could rise to his feet, the creature was before him. It grabbed Halo helplessly by the collar and tossed him to the edge of the cliff.
The instant Halo bounced off the ground, he leaped to his feet, panting hard with his pulse racing. He turned to the endless drop behind him and gulped.
That bastard. It had the same plan Halo did.
The Sinner's presence grew fierce, its elongated head narrowing toward the ground while its limbs pressed tightly against the ground.
Halo knew what it intended to do in an instant. As absurd as it seemed, it was obvious he had the same idea as the monster, they both wanted to kick the other off the cliff.
Uneasiness prevented him from staying still, so he bounced on his tiptoes. He was glad for this nervous energy to some extent, he needed to stay agile. Without a doubt, the Sinner would charge, and if he avoided its long limbs, he'd win.
Before he could process anything beyond victory, the creature charged at him and, when within reach, lunged toward him with its twelve limbs outstretched.
It was too fast. With its limbs extended, he would be caught regardless, he wasn't fast enough to avoid them completely.
He tremored, but his eyes lit up the moment he spotted a safe route.
Below.
Below the creature.
He could escape.
In the heat of the moment, he had no time to process his situation. He instinctively threw himself down, and an icy dread coursed through him when he felt the creature looming above.
But his relief was short-lived when he felt claws lock around his neck. He gasped in terror as frantic thoughts overwhelmed him.
Yet his body reacted on pure instinct, blindly launching a backward strike that connected with the Sinner.
It let out a yelping sound and instantly lost its grip on Halo, its screams growing distant by the second.
Halo gingerly touched his bruised throat, evidence of how close he'd come to death. But now he was grinning with dark satisfaction.
He knew without looking, the Sinner had plummeted to its death.
The snickering grew into gentle laughter, then erupted into maniacal cackling, even as his features stayed contorted with discomfort.
The emotion wasn't joy or grief, it was just his mind processing the trauma through dark laughter. But beneath it lay pure relief, he had the fortitude to walk this deadly road.
Two Sinners in a day, this last encounter nearly ended everything. He was truly evolving into the Shadow of Death.
***
[ Congratulations! You've slain a Toddler Sinner.]
[ You've received a Sin Fragment: Pride. 2/10.]
[ Your Intelligence has increased. ]
[You've grown stronger.]
***
His body convulsed as he felt ice flooding his veins. He trembled relentlessly, then stopped abruptly.
"Aha… well, that speaks for itself." He grumbled something inaudible while pushing himself upright, every muscle screaming from the fight.
The creature had given him that opening on purpose—one swift motion could have sent him plummeting. But in facing death so closely, he'd learned something vital about his own desire to live.
Paradoxically, he was thankful for the Sinner's intelligence.
He sighed.
Finally, the power to summon his own clone was within reach. No more carrying this weight alone.
One focused thought made the bronze screen blink out of sight, only to snap back into place a heartbeat later.
***
[ Would you like to summon a clone of yourself? ]
Price: 2 Sin Fragments.
| Yes | No |
***
'Yes.'